Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Asking For And Giving Instructions
9 questions · exam conditions
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Asking For And Giving InstructionsQuestion 1 of 9

A student wants to make tea. He reads these instructions: '1. Boil the water. 2. Put the tea bag in the cup. 3. Pour the hot water into the cup. 4. Wait three minutes. 5. Remove the tea bag.'

The student's friend does not understand step 3. Which question is the best way to ask for help with that step?

'What do I do with the tea bag first?'
'How long do I wait after I pour the water?'
'Where do I pour the hot water?'
'When do I remove the tea bag from the cup?'
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Asking For And Giving Instructions

Practice Asking For And Giving Instructions in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Asking For And Giving Instructions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

A student wants to make tea. He reads these instructions: '1. Boil the water. 2. Put the tea bag in the cup. 3. Pour the hot water into the cup. 4. Wait three minutes. 5. Remove the tea bag.'

The student's friend does not understand step 3. Which question is the best way to ask for help with that step?

  1. 'What do I do with the tea bag first?'
  2. 'How long do I wait after I pour the water?'
  3. 'Where do I pour the hot water?' (correct answer)
  4. 'When do I remove the tea bag from the cup?'
Explanation: When someone doesn't understand a specific step in a set of instructions, the best question to ask is one that directly addresses what that step is telling you to do. Step 3 says "Pour the hot water into the cup." The key action in this step is pouring, and the key detail is where the water goes. So the most helpful question about step 3 asks about location or destination — in other words, where to pour the water. That makes C the correct answer. "Where do I pour the hot water?" targets exactly what step 3 explains: the destination of the hot water (into the cup). If you didn't understand that step, this question would get you the information you need. The other choices each ask about a different step entirely. A asks "What do I do with the tea bag first?" — this relates to step 2, which is about placing the tea bag in the cup. B asks "How long do I wait after I pour the water?" — that refers to step 4, which tells you to wait three minutes. D asks "When do I remove the tea bag?" — that points to step 5, the final step. None of these questions help you understand step 3. A useful strategy: before choosing your answer, go back and re-read the specific step mentioned in the question. Ask yourself, "What is the main action or detail in this step?" Then find the answer choice whose question would only be answered by that step. That match is your correct answer.

Question 2

Ana is learning to use the copy machine at work. Her coworker gives her these instructions: 'Place your paper on the glass. Close the lid. Press the green button. Wait for the copy to come out.'

Ana followed the first two steps but is not sure what to do next. Which question should she ask?

  1. 'Do I place the paper on the glass first?'
  2. 'Should I close the lid before I place the paper?'
  3. 'What do I do after I close the lid?' (correct answer)
  4. 'Where does the copy come out of the machine?'
Explanation: When you're following a set of instructions and you get stuck in the middle, the most useful question you can ask is one that picks up exactly where you left off — not one that goes back to steps you've already done. Ana has already completed steps one and two: she placed the paper and closed the lid. That means she needs help with what comes next, which is step three — pressing the green button. The best question she can ask is C, "What do I do after I close the lid?" This question moves her forward from her current position and will get her the information she needs to continue. Choice A asks about placing the paper on the glass first, but Ana already did that step. Asking about it now wastes time and shows confusion about what she has already completed. Choice B asks whether she should close the lid before placing the paper — this reverses the order of the first two steps, which Ana already performed correctly. It's a question about the past, not the future. Choice D asks where the copy comes out, which jumps all the way to the final step. That question skips step three entirely and wouldn't help her finish the process in order. A good study tip: when a question asks what someone should do or say next, always find where they are in the process first, then look for the answer that moves them one step forward — not backward, not to an earlier step they finished, and not jumping ahead too far.

Question 3

A manager tells a new employee: 'Don't forget to sign the form before you hand it in.' Which instruction means the same thing?

  1. 'Hand in the form, and then sign it before you leave the office.'
  2. 'Sign the form first, and then hand it in to the manager.' (correct answer)
  3. 'You can hand in the form without signing it if you are in a hurry.'
  4. 'Sign the form only if the manager asks you to do so before handing it in.'
Explanation: When a question asks you to find the instruction that "means the same thing," you need to focus on sequence and conditions — what happens first, what happens second, and whether anything is optional or conditional. The original instruction says: "Sign the form before you hand it in." This gives you a clear order: signing comes first, handing in comes second. Both actions are required — there are no exceptions. Choice B captures this perfectly: "Sign the form first, and then hand it in." The order is identical, and both steps are treated as mandatory. This is the correct answer. Choice A reverses the sequence — it says to hand in the form first and sign it after. That is the opposite of the original instruction, which specifically warns not to hand it in before signing. Choice C changes the meaning entirely by making signing optional ("without signing it if you are in a hurry"). The original instruction has no exceptions — signing is always required. Choice D adds a condition that doesn't exist in the original — it says to sign the form only if the manager asks. The original instruction doesn't depend on anyone asking; the employee should always sign before handing it in. A useful tip for this type of question: watch for three common traps — reversed order, optional actions, and added conditions. All three appear in the wrong answers here. When you find the choice that keeps the same steps, same order, and no extra conditions, that's your match.

Question 4

Rosa is at the pharmacy. She picks up her medicine. The label says: 'Take one pill in the morning. Take one pill at night. Do not take more than two pills per day. Do not take with alcohol.'

Rosa does not understand what she cannot do. Which question should she ask the pharmacist?

  1. 'Can you explain what I should not do when I take this medicine?' (correct answer)
  2. 'What time of day should I take the first pill?'
  3. 'How many pills do I take each morning and each night?'
  4. 'Can you tell me how to open the medicine bottle safely?'
Explanation: When reading medicine labels or instructions, it helps to match the problem to the question. The passage tells you Rosa doesn't understand what she cannot do — so she needs to ask about restrictions or warnings, not about instructions she already has. Answer A is correct because it directly addresses Rosa's confusion. She wants to know what she should not do, and asking the pharmacist "Can you explain what I should not do when I take this medicine?" targets exactly that. The label includes two "do not" warnings — no more than two pills per day, and no alcohol — and this question opens the door to clarifying both. Answer B is a trap because it asks when to take the first pill. The label already answers this clearly ("Take one pill in the morning"), so Rosa doesn't need to ask this. It also focuses on what she should do, not what she cannot do. Answer C is similarly off-track. The label already tells her to take one pill in the morning and one at night, so asking how many pills to take repeats information she already has. Again, it's about instructions, not restrictions. Answer D is unrelated to the medicine's warnings or directions entirely. Opening the bottle safely is a practical concern, but it has nothing to do with Rosa's confusion about what she cannot do. A useful strategy: always re-read what the question says the person is confused about, then look for the answer choice that solves that specific problem. Don't be distracted by answers that are related to medicine in general — they need to match the exact gap in understanding.

Question 5

Two coworkers are talking. Jin says: 'To use the time clock, press your ID number, then press Enter, and then press Start.' Leon says: 'Wait — do I press Start before or after I press Enter?'

Based on Jin's instructions, which answer correctly tells Leon what to do?

  1. 'Press your ID number, press Enter, and then press Start last.' (correct answer)
  2. 'Press Enter and Start at the same time after you type your ID number.'
  3. 'Press Start first, then press your ID number, and finally press Enter.'
  4. 'Press Enter last, after you press your ID number and Start button.'
Explanation: When a question asks you to follow or interpret a set of step-by-step instructions, your job is to match the exact order described — don't add, swap, or combine any steps. Jin's instructions are clear: (1) press your ID number, (2) press Enter, (3) press Start. That's a specific sequence with three separate steps. Answer A restates this order faithfully — ID number first, Enter second, and Start last. The word "last" even directly answers Leon's question about when to press Start: after Enter, not before. Here's why the other choices are wrong. Answer B says to press Enter and Start "at the same time," but Jin never said to press two buttons simultaneously — that's information that doesn't exist in the passage and completely changes the instructions. Answer C reverses the order by putting Start first, which is the opposite of what Jin said; Start is supposed to come last, not first. Answer D claims Enter is pressed last, but according to Jin, Enter is the middle step — Start is actually the final one. This choice swaps the positions of Enter and Start, which would cause Leon to do the task incorrectly. A good strategy here is to number the steps in the original passage before looking at the answer choices. Write: 1 = ID number, 2 = Enter, 3 = Start. Then check each answer against your numbered list. Any choice that changes the order, combines steps, or adds new information is wrong. On reading comprehension questions like this, always stick strictly to what the passage says — don't assume or invent details.

Question 6

David asks his neighbor how to get to the library. His neighbor says: 'Go straight on Main Street. Turn left on Oak Avenue. Walk two blocks. The library is on the right.'

David wants to confirm he understood the directions correctly. Which response best shows he is checking his understanding?

  1. 'So I go straight, then turn right on Oak Avenue, and walk two blocks?'
  2. 'So I turn left on Main Street first, and then walk two blocks to the library?'
  3. 'So I walk two blocks on Main Street and then turn left on Oak Avenue?'
  4. 'So I go straight on Main Street, turn left on Oak Avenue, and walk two blocks?' (correct answer)
Explanation: When checking your understanding of directions, your goal is to repeat back exactly what you heard — in the correct order, with no changes. This skill is called "confirming comprehension," and it's tested here by seeing whether you can identify a restatement that faithfully matches the original instructions. The neighbor gave four steps: (1) go straight on Main Street, (2) turn left on Oak Avenue, (3) walk two blocks, (4) the library is on the right. Answer D repeats steps one through three in the exact same order with the exact same details — straight on Main Street, left on Oak Avenue, two blocks. This makes D the correct way to confirm understanding, because it shows David heard the directions accurately. Answer A changes "turn left" to "turn right" on Oak Avenue — a critical error. If David followed those directions, he'd end up in the wrong place entirely. Answer B mixes up the streets, saying David turns left on Main Street first, when the neighbor said to go straight on Main Street and turn left on Oak Avenue. Answer C gets the sequence wrong — it says David walks two blocks on Main Street before turning left on Oak Avenue, reversing the correct order. A helpful strategy: when a question asks you to confirm or check directions, mentally number each step in the original passage, then match each answer choice step by step. Any answer that changes a street name, swaps left/right, or reorders the steps is wrong. Only D passes that checklist, making it the best way to confirm understanding.

Question 7

Maria is at a new job. Her supervisor says, 'First, turn on the computer. Then, open the program. After that, enter your password.' Maria missed the second step because someone was talking to her.

What should Maria say to find out what she missed?

  1. 'Can you repeat the last step again, please?'
  2. 'Can you repeat the second step again, please?' (correct answer)
  3. 'What do I do after I enter my password, please?'
  4. 'Can you show me the first step again, please?'
Explanation: When you miss part of instructions at work, it is important to ask clearly and specifically about what you missed — not just say "repeat that" without details. Think about exactly which step Maria missed: the passage tells us she missed the second step (open the program) because someone was talking to her. This makes B the right choice. Saying "Can you repeat the second step again, please?" is direct, polite, and precise. It tells the supervisor exactly what Maria needs to hear again, so there is no confusion. It also uses polite language ("please"), which is important in a workplace setting. Choice A says "the last step," but Maria did not miss the last step — she missed the second one. Asking about the wrong step would give her information she already has and leave her still confused. Choice C asks "What do I do after I enter my password?" — but that is actually asking about the step that comes after the third step, which is not even mentioned in the instructions. This question points Maria in the wrong direction entirely. Choice D asks about the first step (turn on the computer), but Maria heard the first step clearly. Asking to repeat something she already understood wastes her supervisor's time and does not solve her problem. A helpful tip: when answering questions about what someone should say, always go back to the passage and identify the exact problem first. Then look for the answer choice that matches that specific problem as closely as possible. Vague or off-target requests are always wrong answers in these communication questions.

Question 8

A student needs to ask her teacher how to submit homework online. She is not sure which words to use. Which question is the most appropriate and clear way to ask for these instructions?

  1. 'Teacher, homework, online — what do I do?'
  2. 'You should explain to me how to do the online homework submission.'
  3. 'Is it okay if I find out somewhere about submitting homework online?'
  4. 'Can you tell me the steps for submitting my homework online, please?' (correct answer)
Explanation: When asking for help in English, especially in a classroom setting, your goal is to be clear, polite, and specific. A good question tells the listener exactly what you need and shows respect for their time. Keep this in mind whenever you're choosing between ways to make a request. The best choice here is D: "Can you tell me the steps for submitting my homework online, please?" This question works because it uses a polite request structure ("Can you tell me..."), asks for something specific ("the steps"), and includes "please" to show respect. The listener immediately understands what help is needed and how to respond. Now let's look at why the other options fall short. A — "Teacher, homework, online — what do I do?" — is just a list of words, not a complete sentence. While a listener might guess what you mean, it sounds unfinished and confusing. In formal settings like school, complete sentences are important. B — "You should explain to me..." — uses "you should," which sounds like a command or demand. This is too direct and can come across as rude, even if that wasn't the intention. Polite requests use phrases like "Can you" or "Could you," not "you should." C — "Is it okay if I find out somewhere...?" — is vague and indirect. "Find out somewhere" doesn't tell the teacher what you need from them, and the teacher may not even understand that you're asking them for help. A helpful tip: on questions like this, look for the answer that is complete, specific, and polite. That combination almost always points to the correct choice.

Question 9

Carlos wants to give his coworker instructions for sending an email. Which sentence uses the correct imperative form?

  1. 'You should clicking the send button at the top of the screen.'
  2. 'Click the send button at the top of the screen.' (correct answer)
  3. 'Clicks the send button at the top of the screen.'
  4. 'To click the send button at the top of the screen.'
Explanation: When giving someone instructions — like how to send an email — English uses the imperative form. The imperative is how we give commands or directions, and it follows one simple rule: use the base form of the verb (the verb with no endings added), and drop the subject "you" entirely. The sentence starts directly with the action word. That's exactly what B does: "Click the send button at the top of the screen." It begins with the base verb "click," has no subject, and gets straight to the instruction. This is correct imperative form and sounds natural in workplace directions. Now look at why the others fail. A uses "should clicking," which combines a modal verb ("should") with an -ing form incorrectly — modals must be followed by a base verb ("should click"), and even then, that structure gives advice, not a direct instruction. C adds an "s" to the verb: "Clicks." That "s" ending belongs in third-person sentences like "He clicks the button," not in imperatives. Adding it here is a common mistake for learners who are used to conjugating every verb. D uses "To click," which is an infinitive phrase — it names an action but doesn't complete a sentence or give an instruction. You'd hear this in a list ("Things to do: to click…"), but it's not a command on its own. A useful tip: when writing instructions or steps, ask yourself, "Does my sentence start with a plain base verb?" If yes, you're likely using the correct imperative form.